There is a stable aphorism: there is no arguing about tastes. Certainly he is fair. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and preferences. Especially when it comes to music. But, like any philosophical idea, this idea is a “double-edged sword.”
Vocal lessons for beginners are often accompanied by arguments with young vocalists, in which a certain musical style is a stumbling block. The vocal teacher invites the student to learn and perform a musical composition, for example, in a folk style. The student resists: “I believe that only rock is real music. And I signed up for vocal courses in Kyiv to learn how to perform exactly rock.
These expressions are a manifestation of youthful maximalism. They are quite understandable. But let’s take a closer look at them.
Reason for resistance
At the heart of such a “firm position” is elementary fear. This fear is akin to a child’s, when a mother tries to persuade a child to try a new dish and clearly understands that later you can’t drag him by the ears. But the child is accustomed to the types of food already familiar to him and eating something new is simply scary for him. This is also the behavior of many young people who have decided to try vocals, for which, in their understanding, classes should be based only on improving the performance of their favorite songs.
Students have a certain social circle of interests (party, company), where there are unwritten rules, canons and even a hierarchy. Departure from these canons, even outside the “party”, is perceived as a way out of the familiar world, a betrayal of one’s own interests. In many cases, students start attending private vocal lessons at the initiative of their parents. Therefore, it seems to them that they are experiencing some kind of “pressure” from adults, which must be resisted.
How things really are
Vocal is music produced by this nature, the vocal apparatus. And in comparison with material instruments, the vocal apparatus is inferior in terms of the ability to extract the necessary sounds, the width of the range.
It is this “limitedness” of the human voice that is the true reason for the division of music as a whole into several genres. Some people’s voices are perfect for rock, others for jazz, and so on. There are many varieties of rock, and vocal techniques for its performance are few. The same goes for other styles.
Mastering different skills and techniques will give individuality to the student’s singing. And individuality is what listeners regard as talent, and in turn leads to recognition.
Therefore, sooner or later, everyone who attends vocal lessons comes to an understanding and desire to learn how to work in different vocal techniques.